FIAB

Nine Miler and bassman31783 I would love to have some more myself......at this time I am having real trouble trying to get the material to make the claws. Right now I would have to buy a bolt of the material at over $100 per bolt. Not only will I not pay that, that would be enough material for my great great grandchildren to use. Still looking into other options (such as rabbit hair) just have not ordered a whole hide yet to try.

Love them Mud Bugs.......They almost look good enough to put in some crab boil with potatoes and corn.

Mr. Mallard I have thought about using tape but was looking for something a little less time consuming. I am also not so worried about clean lines. But I may give this a try. Cadman the way you describe painting your heads is what I have been doing. I guess I just need more practice. One wrong flick of the brush and or shaky hands and the whole jig head can be screwed up.......or at least becomes a single color jig head again. I also think this might work better for me if I used a heat gun to heat the jigs up instead of the oven or do you just use the oven for both heating and curing. I had just seen the air brushes for powder paint and thought that they may make life a little easier. I already have a compressor so I may get one and give it a try. If not I'll take your advice Cadman and keep practicing the Old School Way. GMAN I can't think of a way to make a trough to work in a fluid bed.....or are you talking about just a trough with no fluid bed. Jig Man do you get paint on the hook tip when you take it in hook first or are you keeping the hook tip out of the paint and dipping it at an angle. Thanks all for the input. If I get an air brush I'll let you know how it works.

Looks great.....I agree with MoreLures....my first thought was very clean.

Very nice......where did you get to go, and how is your boat coming.

Do any of you use a powder paint air brush when putting multiple colors on a jig? If so is this your preferred way to put multiple colors on a jig. I have only done a second dip or sprinkled additional colors on the base color. What air brush would you suggest? Also, I would like to repaint some old spinner baits but they will not fit down into my fluid beds far enough without bending the wire.........is that what you do....just bent the wire and then bend it back in shape. Or do I have my fluid beds too tall. I try to keep about 4oz of powder in the container so I think I have enough powder in the container. Thanks

Picasso Shakey Heads......they are also about the only ones I've seen that come in heavier jig heads.......1/2 3/4 and 1oz

I can't get my cheese whizz to roll up!

Steve_IA, That's not a bad idea, I may have to try that. Could be alot more costly than ultrasuede (but if I am not able to get ultrasuede). The only problem I have found this year using rabbit is that the color fades pretty quick (in about 6 months if used.......not shelf life) Thanks

rezbass, I have not seen or do not know what your talking about on the tough sponge, but if it can be cut and colored it might work. As far as feathers, I really don't like using them....they just don't hold up very long. I can always use rabbit zonkers for the claws but they look more like a trailer than claws...I was trying to make it look as much like a crawfish as possible. Do you have an example of the tough sponge that I can look at....(link to a picture of it). Below is an example of one that I have tied with rabbit zonkers for a trailer.

MFBAB - The claws are made from ultrasuede. They do not have very much action....they just kind of stand up. But with this jig I did not want much action. The reason for the spun hair on the jig is to slow the rate of fall of the jig. This one is tied on a 1/2 oz jig and falls much slower than a 1/4 oz jig. The ultrasuede used on this jig is still not what I'm looking for. I just got some in the other day that is upholstery grade and I'm hoping it will work better.......I have had my man card punched three times already going into fabric stores looking for the right material to use for the claws. If I ever get a chance I'll try to do a video of how it looks in the water.

Those really look good. Do the foil finishes last jist as long as the regular paint jobs ya'll do?

Bryand82487, Most tournaments that I know of you have to lock thru to get to the other side.....(no taking out and putting back in), but I'm sure it all depends on the tournament and tournament rules. I know plenty of folks that have put in at JP Coleman and locked thru to the river.

Welcome and hope to see ya on the river.

Hamby, They take about an hour if everything goes good. If I break my thread I have to start all over.........and crawfish don't have weedguards.

I'll vote for G-MAN if I can get a ride in the back of his boat ;D

Pickwick as of today....no shad kill yet (this may happen after this cold snap this weekend). Spilling until further notice....projected average outflow for Sat. 91,483. Great current, mid to low 40s water temps.....May be the last good weekend before the shad kill......Let's all meet below the dam and scare the hell out those sauger fishermen. (of course if the sauger are biting I will have a sauger jig tied on). Beech will have to wait until another weekend. See ya on the river.

Love that BlueGill!!!!!!

Chucks Marine in Horn Lake was going to open up a small hunting and fishing store front in their building...I have not been there in a while so have not seen what they have. You could give them a call.

ChaseScott, Do you have any problem with Gorilla Glue wicking up the weedguard and stiffening it up too much. That was the reason I started using super glue gel like Cadman. Maybe I was just using too much glue.

Roadwarrior, I would love to be on the river too....I think I need a bigger trolling motor when they're spilling. Was all set to get one last month and had to do the right thing and put tires on the truck. That's Life.

Thanks all, I don't think I like the claws.....they seem to be a little bulky to me. I need to cut them down a make them a little smaller profile I think. I don't think the eyes would last very long (not that they are really needed....they just look cool) I need to find a better way to attach them. Scorcher214 - what other color would you like to see. I tend to get in a rut trying to make everything an olive or watermelon pumkin color. Aluma-Bass - PM Sent

Thanks guys, Do both Beech and Pine fish the same? Do they have grass in the lake or alot of stumps and laydowns? 00 Mod......PM Sent

MattyIce, What is the highest temperature that you bake your jigs?

I have been hearing nothing but good reports about this chain of lakes in Lexington, TN.........Beech Lake, Pin Oak Lake, RedBud Lake and Dogwood Lake. Anyone here know anything about them, which would be the best to try first, and does anyone want to go. Thanks